Reebok Stadium
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| The Reebok | |
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| Full name | The Reebok Stadium |
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| Location | Burnden Way Horwich Greater Manchester England |
| Coordinates | 53°34′50″N 2°32′8″W / 53.58056°N 2.53556°WCoordinates: 53°34′50″N 2°32′8″W / 53.58056°N 2.53556°W |
| Built | 1997 |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Owner | Bolton Wanderers |
| Capacity | 28,723 |
| Field dimensions | 110 x 72 yards |
| Tenants | |
| Bolton Wanderers (1997–present) | |
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'. Historically within Lancashire, it has 4 stands: The North Stand at one end, the Woodford Group (south) Stand:the away end, at the other end, the West Stand at one side of the pitch and the Nat Lofthouse (east) Stand at the other side. The stadium has a hotel built into it giving stunning views of the pitch from some of the rooms. The hotel is operated by the De Vere brand.
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[edit] History
It is a modern, all-seater stadium with a capacity of 28,723 which was completed in 1997, replacing the club's old ground, Burnden Park. Despite the improved facilities and larger capacity (and resultant larger ticket revenues), this move was unpopular with many of the club's fans. This was partly due to the new stadium being built out-of-town, and partly due to sentimental attachment to the old stadium and its history. In recognition of this, the street on which the stadium is situated is called Burnden Way.
The lead consultant/architect of the project was Lobb Sports, but the local firm of Bradshaw Gass & Hope acted as planning supervisors and quantity surveyors. The value of the contract was £25 million.[1] The stadium is noted for its distinct gabled architecture.
The Reebok Stadium is named for long-time team sponsor, Reebok. Again, this was unpopular with many fans, as it was considered impersonal, and that too much emphasis was being placed on financial considerations. This opposition has considerably lessened since the stadium was built, however, as fans have grown accustomed to the name and since Reebok is a local company.
[edit] Football firsts
- The first competitive - and English Premier League - match at the stadium was a 0–0 draw between Bolton and Everton on Monday 1 September, 1997. Nineteen days later, Bolton drew 0–0 with Manchester United.
- The first player to score at the stadium was Alan Thompson, a penalty in the 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, on 23 September. Chris Armstrong, who later in his career had a short spell with Wanderers, got the equaliser.
- The first League Cup match took place on 30 September 1997. Bolton drew 4–4 with Leyton Orient but won the penalty shootout.
- The first club to win a competitive match at the Reebok Stadium was Aston Villa, 1–0 on Saturday 4 October, in the stadium's fifth match. Savo Milošević scored the goal.
- The first FA Cup match at the stadium took place the following season, on 1 January, 1999. It finished Bolton 1–2 Wolves.
- Lokomotiv Plovdiv were the visitors in the first UEFA Cup match at the stadium, on 15 September, 2005. Boban Janchevski scored first for the visitors, but two late goals from El-Hadji Diouf and Jared Borgetti secured a 2–1 home victory in Bolton's first European match.
- The rugby league football world club challenge took place there in 2001 between the National Rugby League (NRL) Grand Final premiers Brisbane Broncos and the Super League grand final premiers St Helens. Another world club challenge took place in February 2007, on this occasion St Helens were the eventual winners.
- The first Premier League crowd of under 20,000 at the Reebok Stadium was recorded against Aston Villa on 28 October, 2007.
[edit] Other events
In addition to hosting football games, the stadium also offers other services, such as a hotel and function rooms. The stadium has been used to host concerts by famous acts such as Oasis,[2] Elton John and Coldplay. Most notably; footage from the Coldplay concert was used in the video for the single Fix You which shows lead singer Chris Martin entering the stage as the song reaches its climax. The stadium has also held Great Britain rugby league internationals, The UK Open Darts Championship and boxing matches with local boxer Amir Khan.
[edit] Records
Record attendance: 28,353 v Leicester City, 28 December, 2003 (FA Premier League)
Lowest attendance for a competitive match: 3,673 v Gillingham, 21 September, 1999 (League Cup 2nd round 2nd leg)
Lowest Premier League attendance: 17,014 v Derby County, 2 January, 2008
Record UEFA Cup attendance: 26,163 v Atletico Madrid, 14 February, 2008 Last 32 1st leg
Record FA Cup attendance: 23,523 v Arsenal, 12 March, 2005 quarter finals
Record League Cup Attendance: 18,037 v Tottenham Hotspur, 27 October 2004 3rd round
[edit] Average Attendances
| Season | League Average Attendance | European Average Attendance | FA Cup Average Attendance | League Cup Average Attendance |
| 2003–04 | 26,795 | 8,759 | 10,191 | |
| 2004–05 | 26,006 | 19,837 | 18,037 | |
| 2005–06 | 26,265 | 17,635 | 15,223 | 11,997 |
| 2006–07 | 23,282 | 21,088 | ||
| 2007–08 | 20,901 | 18,367 | 15,286 | 15,510 |
| 2008–09 | 22,486 | 7,136 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bradshaw Gass & Hope website retrieved 26 October 2007
- ^ Oasis, Reebok Stadium review from independent.co.uk
[edit] External links
- Stadium Information at Bolton Wanderers official website
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Bolton Wanderers F.C.
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